Attic Insulation Batts Vs Blown

You can usually obtain an r factor of 3 1 to 4 2 or slightly higher per inch of material with batts.

Attic insulation batts vs blown.

We use both blown in and batt insulation depending on the situation at hand. Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. Current energy standards recommend the installation of a first layer of craft faced moisture barrier fiberglass batt. Compared to blown in insulation batts can reach a resistance rating r factor of over 3 1.

The biggest disadvantage of batt insulation is that it does not fit well in non standard spaces. Very common very problematic. You also don t see any gaps that allow you to see all the way down to the ceiling drywall. It comes in rolls and has paper backing on one side.

Batts offer a slight advantage. That s because blown insulation is great at filling the gaps and giving you a good complete layer of insulation. Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material. Disadvantages of batt insulation.

It is sold in bags and made of materials that are of varying degrees of recycled. With this method the insulation is simply blown onto the attic floor and no matter what type of joists studs or wiring that may be in play the blown insulation will naturally form itself tight around any of these creating a layer of strong insulation. Blown in varieties however typically reach a peak of around a 2 8 r factor. The r factor of blown in fiberglass is usually 2 3 to 2 8 per inch of material.

The maximum rating of batt insulation is around 4 2. Blown in insulation thickness can vary in an attic space. This will lead to non uniform r values. The photo above shows an attic insulated with blown cellulose.

For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. You can hire a contractor carrying relevant business insurance and using skilled and trained workers to install your batt insulation much more quickly than a batt insulation install might take. You ve probably got batts in your attic walls and crawlspace right now. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation.

When a home is fully finished the scales of batt vs. Batt insulation is that it is a form of loose fill insulation as opposed to a flexible blanket. Blown in insulation clearly lean toward using blown in insulation. Sometimes loose fill insulation is referred to as blown in insulation because an installer literally blows it into your home with a special machine.

When insulating an attic space many homeowners ask us which is better blown in or batt insulation. In short there is less chance of error with blown insulation as compared to batts. I don t know about that but it s a common insulation material that works much better in the blown form than in batts. Once installed and expanded to the uniform manufactured thickness batts offer a known r factor.